The House passed the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) spending bill for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 along party lines, 220-207. The THUD funding bill includes almost 2,000 projects totaling $3.7 billion in earmarks. Of the transportation-related earmarks, highways got $1 billion, transit got $267 million and airports got $173 million.
It would provide $4.57 billion in multimodal capital investment to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for FY23. The legislation also fully funds Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) programs for highways and public transportation in FY2023. An additional $3.45 billion is provided for capital projects on top of IIJA levels.
In total, USDOT would receive an increase of $833 million above FY2022 levels. Highway investments alone would increase by $602 million.
"The 2023 THUD bill represents a continued commitment in our nation’s affordable housing and infrastructure,” Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Chairman David E. Price (D-NC) said. “It will benefit rural and urban communities throughout America by growing opportunities for homeownership and rental assistance while also creating tens of thousands of jobs to repair and expand our airports, highways, transit, passenger rail, and port systems. This legislation provides expansive funding for safe, well-maintained, and innovative public housing, including substantial investments in manufactured housing, and transportation, supporting vulnerable populations and addressing existing inequity. This bill will benefit communities across America and lay a strong foundation for economic growth and resiliency.”
The six-bill package passed on July 20th, 2022 consists of the 2023 Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies; Financial Services and General Government; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies funding bills.
According to the House Committee on Appropriations, the 2023 bill T-HUD funding bill provides funding of $90.9 billion, an increase of $9.9 billion – more than 12 percent – above 2022. This includes an increase of $8.9 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and $833 million for the Department of Transportation. In total, the bill provides $168.5 billion in total budgetary resources, an increase of $11.5 billion above 2022. The legislation:
- Creates and sustains tens of thousands of good-paying American jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure with significant investments in airports, highways, transit, passenger rail, and port systems
- Grows opportunity through homeownership and rental assistance, including more than 140,000 new housing vouchers targeted to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness and approximately 5,600 new units for seniors and persons with disabilities
- Supports the vulnerable with public housing safety, maintenance, and improvement investments, such as the remediation of lead paint and radon and installation of energy and water efficient systems
- Promotes safe transportation and housing with a skilled and growing workforce to conduct inspections, mitigate hazards, and study emerging threats and innovative solutions
- Includes more than $2.6 billion to reduce emissions, increase resiliency, and address historical inequities in transportation and housing programs
- Supports community projects identified by 331 Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle that increase the safety and viability of our airports, highways, and transit systems as well as strengthen our housing, businesses, and community infrastructure
Senate Up Next
The Senate has yet to introduce its FY2023 spending bills. The fiscal year ends on Sept. 30.
According to the Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick Leahy, the committee will continue to push for a bipartisan, bicameral topline agreement for the FY2023 bill.
"That is the most efficient path to completing FY 2023 bills," Leahy says. "But in the absence of a deal, the Appropriations Committee needs to do its work. It has a responsibility to the American people. The Committee has held 39 hearings examining the budget for Fiscal Year 2023, and it is time to put pen to paper. The Subcommittee Chairs are working to draft fair, responsible bills to release to the public at the end of July."
